As I boarded the ship for my trip down to Antarctica, a thousand thoughts crossed my mind. I was excited for the voyage ahead but I really didn’t know what to expect. I have never been on a cruise before so I had no idea how the days would flow or how my body would react. I knew it wasn’t going to be one of the luxurious vacation cruises (especially because since it’s a science research vessel) but I was excited nonetheless.
We quickly received our room assignments and made our way to the place we’d call home for the next few days. I met with my roommate and she was a gem. She has spent a lot of time at sea, conducting various science research for both the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) along with other science based research programs. She also had no problem taking the top bunk which I was beyond grateful for. This eased my tension for if I felt seasick at least I didn’t also have to jump down off the top bunk.
Myself, along with a few other first timers, decided to attempt the voyage without motion sickness medicine. Which was a bit of a gamble as it could quickly turn into a nightmare, but it would be nice to know how my body handles the sea. Seasickness runs in my Dad’s side of my family while my Mom is perfectly perfectly fine at sea. This combined with the fact that I don’t get motion sick on rides, I liked my odds – though I did make sure to stock up on meds before boarding – just incase.
I sorted my bags in the hotel room prior to moving onboard. That way I had the items I needed for the trip in one bag and the stuff I’d need later on in the other. We had the option to “check” one of our bags and receive after we arrived at station which I took advantage of to free up some space in our small rooms.
The rooms had a cozy forest green floor and complementary beige walls. Our bed nooks and showers had curved edges which brought a snug but comfortable feeling to the room. We also had a screen that we could access the cameras of the ship and a little desk in case we wanted to get some work done. We also had an attached bathroom which was a delightful surprise since I was expecting more of a large dorm style shower that would be shared with the floor.
I did a little unpacking while things were stable, taking out toiletries, utilizing draws and shelves, and making my bed before bungee-cording the luggage to the wall.
Once I was settled, I looked over the itinerary. Originally the plan was slatted to get to Palmer Station in four days, but the weather forecast wasn’t looking in our favor so it might have to be pushed to five days. And spoiler, it ended up being five days. The extra day came into play while we were in the Strait of Magellan – the sea passage between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean in southern Chile – before entering the Drake.
The Drake passageway is infamous for being the world’s roughest sea crossing. This is due to powerful uninterrupted westerly winds, converging ocean currents and towering waves. All of this stems from the fact that there is a lack of land to block winds and only a deep deep ocean that creates mind boggling swells and turbulent waters.
But really, I didn’t look any of this up until well after I arrived at station. I mean, I knew it was known for being a tough crossing and the ocean does freak me out a little but in my mind, I was going regardless so why worry myself? At that point, it’s really not in my control any who. If that’s the way I go then that’s the way I go.
But on a less depressing note, after exploring the ship a little, the main areas outside my room were the galley, the dining area, a conference room/library, a lounge, a sauna and a gym. I knew I would be spending a lot of time in the conference room and galley, as we were served three square meals a day. They even had the option to go grab extra snacks anytime outside of dining and cleanup hours if you were feeling peckish!
There was only a few pre-arrival training and safety trainings that were on our schedule. Other than that we pretty much had free time to focus on our health and do what we pleased.
Stay tuned for pics from the wide open seas!
